US5289114A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Voltage detection apparatus using short pulse light source with narrow spectral band width
Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
•
Filing: 1991-06-11
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Granted: 1994-02-22
•
Expires: 2011-06-11
Abstract
Abstract A light source for emitting a pulsed laser beam having an ultrashort pulse width and a voltage detector including the light source therein. The light source includes a laser driving unit for driving the laser source to output the pulsed laser beam while the intensity of the pulsed laser beam is stabilized. A chirp compensator is also included to compensate for a chirp in the pulsed laser beam. A wavelength selector is used to extract light having a desired wavelength from the pulsed laser beam, thereby obtaining a pulsed laser beam having an ultrashort pulse width and a desired narrow spectral band width.
Inventors
- 👤 Takuya Nakamura
- 👤 Shinichiro Aoshima
- 👤 Yutaka Tsuchiya
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 14:29
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/005; H01S3/0057; G; G01; G01R; G01R15/00; G01R15/14; G01R15/22; H01S5/00; H01S5/06; H01S5/068; H01S5/0683; H01S5/06835
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
209 words
A voltage detection apparatus for optically detecting changes in a voltage which is being applied to an object, comprising: a light source comprising: a laser source for emitting a laser beam, a laser driving unit for driving said laser source, the laser driving unit including means for driving the laser source to output a pulsed laser beam and for stabilizing an intensity of the pulsed laser beam, and a spectral-band width narrowing unit for narrowing a spectral band width of the pulsed laser beam, said narrowing unit including means for performing chirp compensation and wavelength selected to convert the pulsed laser beam emitted from said laser source into a pulsed laser beam having an ultrashort pulse width and a desired narrow spectral band; a light modulator having an electrooptic characteristic for passing the pulsed laser beam from said spectral-band width narrowing unit therethrough, said light modulator adding information to said pulsed laser beam that represents an amount of change in the voltage applied to the object, said light modulator outputting the pulsed laser beam having the information representing said voltage change; and a photodetector for detecting the pulsed laser beam outputted from said light modulator to obtain the information representing the change in the voltage applied to the object.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
209 words
A voltage detection apparatus for optically detecting changes in a voltage which is being applied to an object, comprising: a light source comprising: a laser source for emitting a laser beam, a laser driving unit for driving said laser source, the laser driving unit including means for driving the laser source to output a pulsed laser beam and for stabilizing an intensity of the pulsed laser beam, and a spectral-band width narrowing unit for narrowing a spectral band width of the pulsed laser beam, said narrowing unit including means for performing chirp compensation and wavelength selected to convert the pulsed laser beam emitted from said laser source into a pulsed laser beam having an ultrashort pulse width and a desired narrow spectral band; a light modulator having an electrooptic characteristic for passing the pulsed laser beam from said spectral-band width narrowing unit therethrough, said light modulator adding information to said pulsed laser beam that represents an amount of change in the voltage applied to the object, said light modulator outputting the pulsed laser beam having the information representing said voltage change; and a photodetector for detecting the pulsed laser beam outputted from said light modulator to obtain the information representing the change in the voltage applied to the object.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
A voltage detection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spectral-band width narrowing unit comprises a chirp compensator for compensating chirp of input lights thereto and a wavelength selector for extracting light having a desired wavelength from input lights thereto.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
96 words
A voltage detection apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said chirp compensator receives the pulsed laser beam from the laser source to compensate chirp of the pulsed laser beam and outputs the chirp-compensated pulsed laser beam, wherein the wavelength selector receives the chirp-compensated pulsed laser beam from the chirp compensator to extract therefrom a part of the pulsed laser beam having a desired wavelength and outputs the extracted part of the chirp-compensated pulsed laser beam, and wherein said light modulator passes therethrough the extracted part of the chirp-compensated pulsed laser beam from the wavelength selector.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
A voltage detection apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the laser source carries out a multi-mode oscillation to emit the pulsed laser beam, and wherein said chirp compensator compensates chirp in each mode of the pulsed laser beam.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
A voltage detection apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said laser source carries out a multi-mode oscillation to emit the pulsed laser beam, and wherein said chirp compensator compensates chirp between the respective modes of the pulsed laser beam.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
104 words
A voltage detection apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the wavelength selector receives the pulsed laser beam from the laser source to extract therefrom a part of the pulsed laser beam having a desired wavelength and outputs the extracted part of the pulsed laser beam, wherein the chirp compensator receives the extracted part of the pulsed laser beam from the wavelength selector to compensate chirp of the extracted part of the pulsed laser beam and outputs the chirp-compensated part of the pulsed laser beam, and wherein said light modulator passes therethrough the chirp-compensated part of the pulsed laser beam from the chirp compensator.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
A voltage detection apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the chirp compensator comprises an optical fiber.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
A voltage detection apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the chirp compensator comprises at least one pair of prisms.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
A voltage detection apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the chirp compensator comprises at least one pair of diffraction gratings.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
A voltage detection apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the wavelength selector comprises a spectroscope.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
A voltage detection apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the wavelength selector comprises a diffraction grating and a slit.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
A voltage detection apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the wavelength selector comprises plural Fabry-Perot etalons having different plate-to-plate distances.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
A voltage detection apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the spectral-band width narrowing unit comprises two pairs of prisms and a slit sandwiched therebetween.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
83 words
A voltage detection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the laser source comprises a semiconductor laser source, and wherein the laser driving unit comprises: an electrical pulse generator for generating a train of electrical pulses and for applying the train to the semiconductor laser source to enable the semiconductor laser source to carry out a pulse oscillation; and a bias current source for supplying the semiconductor laser source with a bias current sufficient to stabilize the intensity of the pulsed laser beam.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
71 words
A voltage detection apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the laser driving unit further comprises a photodetector, connected to said bias current source, for detecting the pulse laser beam outputted from the laser source and for outputting a signal indicative of the detected result, and wherein the bias current source adjusts the amount of bias current, in response to the signal, to stabilize the intensity of the pulsed laser beam.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
A voltage detection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said light modulator comprises an electrooptic crystal.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
83 words
A voltage detection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the laser driving unit comprises: driving means for driving the laser source to output a pulsed laser beam; detection means for detecting the pulsed laser beam outputted from the laser source and for outputting a signal indicative of the detected result; and control means for receiving the signal from the detection means and for controlling the laser source, in response to the signal, to thereby stabilize the intensity of the pulsed laser beam.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
152 words
A voltage detection apparatus for optically detecting changes in a voltage which is being applied to an object, comprising: an optical source for emitting an optical pulse beam; chirp compensation means for receiving the optical pulse beam emitted from said optical source and for compensating chirp of the optical pulse beam to convert the optical pulse beam into an optical pulse beam having an ultrashort pulse width; an optical modulator having an electrooptic characteristic for passing therethrough the optical pulse beam from said chirp compensation means, said optical modulator adding information to said optical pulse beam that represents an amount of change in the voltage applied to the object, said optical modulator outputting the optical pulse beam having the information representing the voltage change; and a photodetector for detecting the optical pulse beam outputted from said optical modulator to obtain the information representing the change in the voltage applied to the object.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
152 words
A voltage detection apparatus for optically detecting changes in a voltage which is being applied to an object, comprising: an optical source for emitting an optical pulse beam; chirp compensation means for receiving the optical pulse beam emitted from said optical source and for compensating chirp of the optical pulse beam to convert the optical pulse beam into an optical pulse beam having an ultrashort pulse width; an optical modulator having an electrooptic characteristic for passing therethrough the optical pulse beam from said chirp compensation means, said optical modulator adding information to said optical pulse beam that represents an amount of change in the voltage applied to the object, said optical modulator outputting the optical pulse beam having the information representing the voltage change; and a photodetector for detecting the optical pulse beam outputted from said optical modulator to obtain the information representing the change in the voltage applied to the object.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
38 words
A voltage detection apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein said optical source comprises: a laser source for emitting a laser beam; and a laser driving unit for driving the laser source to emit a laser pulse beam.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
62 words
A voltage detection apparatus as claimed in claim 18, further comprising: detection means for detecting the optical pulse beam emitted from said optical source and for outputting a signal indicative of the detected result; and feed-back control means for controlling said optical source, in response to the signal outputted from said detection means, to stabilize the intensity of the optical pulse beam.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
124 words
A voltage detection apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said optical source includes a semiconductor laser source for emitting the laser beam and a laser driving unit for driving the semiconductor laser source to emit a laser pulse beam, wherein the laser driving unit comprises a bias current source for supplying the semiconductor laser source with bias current and an electrical pulse generator for generating a train of electrical pulses and for applying the train to the semiconductor laser source to enable the semiconductor laser source to carry out a pulse oscillation, and wherein said feed-back control means controls the bias current source to supply the semiconductor laser source with a bias current sufficient to stabilize the intensity of the pulsed laser beam.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
89 words
A voltage detection apparatus as claimed in claim 18, further comprising: wavelength selection means for receiving the optical pulse beam from said optical source and for extracting therefrom one part of the optical pulse beam having desired wavelength, wherein said chirp compensation means receives the extracted part of the optical pulse beam from said wavelength selection means and compensates chirp of the extracted part of the optical pulse beam, and wherein said optical modulator passes therethrough the chirp-compensated part of the optical pulse beam from said chirp compensation mans.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
74 words
A voltage detection apparatus as claimed in claim 22, further comprising: detecting means for detecting the extracted part of the optical pulse beam outputted from said wavelength selection means and for outputting a signal indicative of the detected result; and feed-back control means for controlling said optical source in response to the signal outputted from said detection means to stabilize the intensity of the part of the optical pulse beam having the desired wavelength.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
123 words
A voltage detection apparatus as claimed in claim 23, wherein said optical source includes a semiconductor laser source for emitting the laser beam and laser driving unit for driving the semiconductor laser source to emit a laser pulse beam, wherein the laser driving unit comprises a bias current source for supplying the semiconductor laser source with bias current and an electrical pulse generator for generating a train of electrical pulses and for applying the train to the semiconductor laser source to enable the semiconductor laser source to carry out a pulse oscillation, and wherein said feed-back control means controls the bias current source to supply the semiconductor laser source with a bias current sufficient to stabilize the intensity of the pulsed laser beam.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1997-02-21 | 1997-08-23 | 1998-02-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-02-21 | 2001-08-23 | 2002-02-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-02-21 | 2005-08-23 | 2006-02-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |